Ashford Yard in Houston's Energy Corridor: What It Means for Connectivity
Project announced May 2026
What's happening
In May 2026, Bisnow reported that Market Square Cos. broke ground on Ashford Yard, a 13-acre mixed-use development at the northeast corner of South Dairy Ashford Road and Briar Forest Drive in Houston's Energy Corridor. The project redevelops the former Schlumberger office campus with more than 85,000 square feet of experiential retail, restaurant and wellness space and a planned luxury multifamily community of more than 350 units. Cactus Commercial is the general contractor, Nelsen Partners the architect, and DBR Associates the MEP engineer.
Source: Bisnow (May 2026)
What this means for connectivity
Retail tenants open on their own schedules and each needs internet for payment systems on day one. A landlord-provided fiber backbone, plus temporary or failover links for early openings, keeps grand openings from waiting on carrier installs.
- A landlord fiber backbone. Bring fiber into a shared equipment room with pathways to every retail suite, so tenants don't each have to trench.
- Day-one service for each tenant's opening. Payment terminals can't wait on a late circuit. Temporary Starlink or wireless links cover early openings.
- A separate plan for the apartments. The multifamily phase needs its own capacity, managed Wi-Fi and equipment rooms.
- Common-area Wi-Fi and cameras. Plazas, wellness areas and parking need coverage and security cameras on their own network segment.
- A backup path. A Starlink failover link protects shared systems and the leasing office.
Install considerations & timeline
| Stage | What to settle |
|---|---|
| Site work / foundations | Order primary fiber. Lock in building entrances and conduit routes. |
| Structure / MEP rough-in | Walk pathways and equipment rooms. Pick roof and mount locations. Confirm backup power for network rooms. |
| Pre-turnover | Certify cabling. Set up Wi-Fi, firewall, failover and E911. Run a live cutover test. |
| Turnover / occupancy | Hand over as-builts and labeling. Set up monitoring for both links. |
Related
Commercial Starlink installation in Houston · Dedicated fiber in Houston · Starlink for retail · Construction connectivity
Frequently asked questions
What is Ashford Yard in Houston?
It's a 13-acre mixed-use redevelopment of the former Schlumberger office campus at South Dairy Ashford Road and Briar Forest Drive, with retail, restaurant and wellness space plus a planned 350-plus-unit apartment community.
How do retail tenants get internet in a new mixed-use development?
The landlord usually brings fiber into a shared equipment room and runs pathways to each suite. Tenants then connect to a carrier or managed service, and a Starlink or wireless link can cover the opening if a circuit is late.
When should connectivity be planned on a new building?
Early, during site work or foundations, because fiber circuits have the longest lead times. Pathways and equipment rooms are easiest to settle by MEP rough-in, and failover should be tested before turnover.
Can Starlink be used as a business internet backup?
Yes. A Starlink terminal connected to a firewall with automatic failover takes over when the primary fiber drops. Because it doesn't share buried infrastructure, it protects against cuts and local carrier outages.
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